05/30/2025
Writing about Cannabis: “The Art of the Sale.”
Dateline: 5-30-25
For me its been way too moist for too long here in Middle Tennessee but it doesn’t seem to faze the fauna and flora, which seems to be in a full tilt growth mode, especially the weeds. Lately it seems that the fields are muddy almost all of the time, this has made weeding the vegetables especially trying. But being muddy seems to be worth it because we are eating huge amounts of Beets, Kale and Spinach with enough to share with others. This morning, once again the rains have returned, so The Old H**p Farmer has a bit of time to sit, drink organic coffee, munch on a little Tennessee homegrown Chocolate fortified with just the right amount of our Cannabis extract, and lean into more musings about the contemporary Cannabis Industry. Lately, I’ve been writing about all of the adverse conditions that exist in the Recreational and H**p Derived Cannabinoid Industry, things like onerous IRS statute 280e or no banking laws, compliancy costs, etc. make the W**d Business a hard way to make an easy living. Even with the harsh realities of legal Cannabis, the prevailing myth continues that selling W**d is an easy way to make a lot of money. The Old H**p Farmer wishes oh so much that it were true but after 10 years in the legal Cannabis trade, yours truly can tell you that the fantasy is much better than the reality. Although there have been moments at our Cannabis company (Tennessee homegrown) that have given Lee Crabtree and I, the ability to grow good Cannabis, a good income and some recognition, it has also been fraught with continuous changing regulations and more cutthroat competition that one could ever imagine, all while “working without a net”. Yes, if you want to start a Cannabis Business be forewarned that you’re not going to find too many financial institutions and local officials that will be welcoming you with open arms, in fact you might find that your state is trying to shut down your business out right. While at Tennessee homegrown we just want to survive, people continue to try and get into the Cannabis business embracing the fantasy of the “Green Rush”. Yet with all the headwinds there are people making money in the Cannabis, but who are they? Well one thing its not the same people that were making money selling Legal W**d 10 years ago, when the Cannabis market wasn’t saturated with Flower, the growers were the “Big Dogs” that held sway in the market place but its not 2015 its 2025, where before it was the Growers that were supplying the Flower that were making serious “Bank” now its the Merchants and Wholesalers. It’s the Cannabis businesses that sell directly to the public that have the best margins. Being a great Merchant or Shopkeepers has never held that much sway but in the Cannabis Industry, but right now, they’re the “Big Dogs” because they know how to sell things. Currently it’s much easier to grow and make Cannabis products, than it is to sell those items. This is where things like inventory control, knowing customers likes and dislikes, knowing where to put your stores, things like “POP” and how to drive continuous “Foot Traffic” means the difference between making decent money in Cannabis or folding in 18 months. These marketing skills that are learned which explains why some of the most successful Cannabis Wholesalers or Retailers are second and third generation merchants. I have seen Cannabis businesses in prime locations fail but when a group of experienced merchants take over the location, they’re profitable. Why, the location is the same? The answer is that the store is now being by experienced merchants. Which explains why the Liquor Industry, in a short period of time, has taken over a large part of the Cannabis Industry. Think about it, with decades of experience selling both Retail and Wholesale, the Liquor Industry is well suited with sales people, warehouses and deliver services all while being situated in thousands of stores all over the United States. Presently the Cannabis Industry doesn’t have the experience, infrastructure or distribution network to compete with the Liquor Industry. Now that the Liquor Industry has found a revenue stream that continues to grow, they will continue to expand the presence in Cannabis. Because of this, the question quickly becomes can the Cannabis Industry learn “The Art of The Sale” with enough urgency not to be marginalized? Anyway as always, H**p Dawgs and H**p Puppies keep one eye on the weather and the other eye on the market.
Visit Tennessee homegrown web site to try our great products: https://www.tnhomegrown.com
The Old H**p Farmer's Wife web site: https://www.theoldhempfarmerswife.com
Our Podcast - Full Contact Cannabis: https://fullcontactcannabis.podbean.com
